Match-lighter



(No Model.)

G. GREGSON.

MATCH LIGHTER No. 484,311.- Patented Oct. 11, 1892.

fittest:

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

GEORGE GREGSON, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

MATCH-LIGHTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,311, dated October 11, 1892. I

Application filed December 9, 1891. Serial No. 414,525. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE GREGSON, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Match-Lighters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improvement in match-scratching or match-lighting devices, its object being to provide an exceedingly cheap, simple, and useful contrivance which may be readily attached to or detached from any desired garment, such as a vest or coat, and when so attached will serve a use ful purpose in affording a means whereon a match may be struck and thereby easily lighted, but which when the contrivance is not in actual use will not be unsightly, but, on the other hand, will be ornamental and similar in appearance to a small badge, it being further observed that any kind of ornamentation, engraving, or figuring may be delineated on the face of the device; and the invention therefore consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, substantially as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the'annexed drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is afront elevation of my improved device whereon matches may be struck and ignited. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same, the device being shown in its closed position in both of these figures. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional edge view on the line a; w of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a front elevation similar to Fig. 1, but showing the parts unclosed, so as to be in actual operative position. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on; the line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line z .5 of Fig. 4.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout all the difierent figures of the drawings.

A denotes a suitably-shaped suitably-sized somewhat small metallic or other plate, which constitutes one of the main elements of my present improved match-i gnitin g contrivance. This plate A is preferably flat, neatly made,

and may, if desired, be of an elongated form. I find it convenient to provide one side of plate A with a suitable ornamentation. Any convenient and presentable design or conventional configuration may be delineated or impressed thereon, so that when the plate is viewed from the embellished side thereof it will present a tasty and attractive appearance. I am restricted to no particular kind of design, or, indeed, to any, inasmuch as the said face of the plate may be plain instead of ornamental; but I reserve the liberty of marking the device with a figure, if I so desire, and in the majority of cases it will probably be found preferable to do so.

Plate A is designed to be connected or combinedwith an attaching hook ordevice,whereby it may be securely held in position upon an article of wearing-apparel, such as a vest, coat, or other garment, and to be hinged to the hook or attaching means in such a manner that it can be shifted in position, at one time exposing its ornamented face and at the other exposing its other face.

One edge of the plate A is bent or inturned, so as to form an integral flange B, which lies closely contiguous to the rear face-that is to say, the non-ornamented face of the said plate Athere being between the flange B and the plate A a suitable space to contain theleg, shank, or other part of the hook or pin, which is thereby hinged to plate A. The edge of the flange B is dentated, serrated, or notched at b. This serrated edge lies slightly removed from the face of plate A, as will be observed by inspecting Figs. 5 and 6. It will be readily seen that by drawing a match quickly across the dentated edge I), said match being guided in its movement by the adjacent surface of the rear side of plate A, said match will be ignited. A match can in this manner be readily and quickly ignited.

C designates an ordinary safety-pin, which is here presented as one form or example of pin or hook which is combined with the other parts of the match-igniting device for the purpose of enabling said device to be attached to a garment in a hinged or pivoted manner. Of course it will be readily understood that the construction of the pin or hooking contrivance may be greatly varied, and I do not by any means intend to be restricted to the precise form of safety-pin here shown. One leg of the safety-pin lies between the dentated flange B and the rear side of the plate A, being swiveled, as it were, therein, so that the plate A can rotate longitudinally around the leg of the safety-pin, and the other parallel and pointed arm of the safety-pin is designed to engage the hooked end of the first-mentioned leg in the usual way, there being between the two arms of the pin the usual coil, so as to impart a springaction to the pointed arm 0', thus enabling said pointed arm to be held firmly and securely in engagement with the hooked end of the other arm after the engagement with the garment has been efiected.

The operation and practical use of my contrivance will be readily perceived from the foregoing description of the construction of its parts. The safety-pin or other equivalent hooking means is designed, obviously, to engage 'a garment in the usual way by passing the pointed arm 0 through the garment and then causing the pointed end of said arm to engage the hooked end of the other arm, as is customary in the ordinary use of safetypins. After the hooking device 0 has been fastened to a garment the plate A can be caused to assume the position shown in Fig. 1, where its ornamental side is exposed to view and its dentated flange is concealed from view, in whichcase the device is no more anseemly in appearance than any ordinary badge carried bythe coat of the wearer, or said plate A can be swung upon its hinged connection with the hooked device and unclosed or caused to assume the position shown in Fig. 4, wherein its ornamental side is turned from view and its dentated flange is brought into view and into convenient position, so that a match can be readily struck thereon and ignited. Thus a person who wears one of these improvedcontrivances attached to his coat or other garment hasalways ready at hand aconvenient match-lighting device. A device of this sort is so very cheap and inexpensive that it can be produced at a slight cost. It is therefore much superior in this respect to the more complicated forms of cigar-lighters and matchlighters which are in extensive use at the present time. A simple and deft manipulation of the plate A converts the device from an ornamental badge into a match-lighter. This can be done at any time, in any place, and upon any occasion.

The wearer of the device has always the match-lighting contrivance ready at hand for I use, and the use thereof is eifected by him without any trouble or danger.

It will be particularly observed that an essential point in the construction of my de vice is the provision of the dentated flanged line closely contiguous to the rear side of the plate A and yet at such a distance from the surface of said plate that the match will have a convenient path to travel along the series of dentations, being guided by the surface of the plate, so that ignition may take place easily and effectually.

The serrated or dentated flange or edge on which the match is scratched is an important feature of my invention, and I deem it far preferable to any other roughened surface having a similar function. Any other form of roughened surface substituted for the serrated edge would necessitate in its construction the stamping or impressing upon the plate itself something sufliciently deep and rough to serve as amatch-scratchingsurface.

This would generally cause the impression to be seenon the f-aceof said plate itself and would partially, if not wholly, destroy theornamental character of the impressions upon the ornamental facethereof. This wouldbea marked disadvantage, and it is entirely avoided by the provision of the serrated edge.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a matchlighting device, a folding or reversible plate,in combination with a pin or hook to which it is hinged.-

2. In combination with apin or book, a reversible plate hinged thereto and provided with a roughened surface.

3. In a device for lighting matches, the combination of a reversible plate having one side ornamented and the other side roughened and a hooking device to which the said reversible plate is pivotally connected, substantially as described.

4.. The combination, with a hook or pin for engaging a garment, of a reversible plate hinged thereto and provided with a dentated flange, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a plate having one side ornamented and the other side provided with a dentated or serrated flange, in combination with a hook or pin device having one of its arms swiveled behind the dentated flange, while the other arm is pointed and adaptedto engage the material of the support, substantially as'described. I

In testimonywhereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. Y

GEORGE GREGSON.

Witnesses:

WM. T. PHELAN, ROBERT J AMES CAMPBELL. 

